The Pesher to Habakkuk

Page 7

Chapter 2:2 to 2:4

Habakkuk 2:2 continued

The last portion of verse 2 is repeated as part of the pesher on
verse 2. Find it in line 3. Beginning after the words "ve 'asher
'amar" (and then he says) the last 4 words of the verse are
written, The word "yarutz" (actually a jussive) is written above
the line probably by the original scribe who omitted it and then
edited his own text. For the comments on the first part of the
verse and comments on "jussive" see the last note on the preceding page.

And YHWH answered me and said: Write the vision on tablets
and make it clear so that the one running may read it.

We have not usually commented on the Peshers but look on line 1
and see the name Habakkuk as the 3rd word. The word " 'el" has
been edited in as the editor took the first of the two same words
to mean "God" and the 2nd to be prep. "to."
At the end of the line and the first in the next a double use of
"'al" is found. This is a mistake of reduplication.

Habakkuk 2:3

This long verse of 17 words is divided into two parts by a
pesher, But it is complete and matches M word for word. The
verse begins as the 3rd from last word in line 5 (kiy')and
continues to the end of the next line. The only differences are
the addition of aleph to cj. "kiy" (an Aramaic accent) and the
addition of semi vowel "waw" to negative "lo' " next to last word
in line 6.

The rest of the verse is completed after the pesher and begins as
the first word in line 9 and is completed in the first word in
line 10 followed by a spatium and peshru. The last nine words of
the verse match the M text word for word except for the usual
spelling variations. There is the addition of aleph in the cj.
"kiy" (5th word) and the addition of waw as a semi-vowel in each
of the last 3 words in the same line. There is an addition of a
waw cj. to the last word in this line meaning "and not." To see
the difficulty in distinguishing some letters from others in the
Pesher notice the 3rd word in this line (line 9) which is heth
kaph he ("chakah") identified as a 3rd stem imperative meaning
wait. Notice that the kaph is hardly distinguishable from a
beth. Compare this with the kaph in the 2nd word following (kiy'
") and it with the beth in the next two words.("bo' ").

Because the vision is for its proper time and it will break
out at the end and will not fail; though it is delayed, wait for
it, because it will surely come and not be deferred.

Habakkuk 2:4

Only the first 4 words of the nine that make up this verse
survive. They are the last 4 words in the 3rd from last line.
The words "naphsho bo" (his soul in him) were no doubt written in
the lacuna at the beginning of the next to last line. And the
rest of the verse is probably lost in the lacuna at the bottom of
the page after the pesher. The next page begins with the word
peshru and is a comment on the portion of the verse that is lost
which is quoted in the N.T. "and the righteous shall live by his
faith." Interestingly the Pesher ascribes personhood to the
"Righteous" speaking of those "who place their faith in the
"Righteous Teacher." So the Pesher understood this portion of
the verse that is lost to mean "and the Righteous One shall live
by his faith." An allusion to the Messiah.

Behold his soul is swelled up within him and twisted; but
the righteous shall live by his faith.